Gentlemen:
Please review the following and let me have your thoughts ASAP. I would like to post something (soon). Thanks
Doug
"I feel the need to speak up here. First the original ad and now this thread have been on my mind since I first read them. There are multiple issues here. Some are more important than others to me. The ethic of taking advantage of a company’s obvious mistake is not of primary importance to me, except to say I was glad that HD and Workshop stepped up to the plate and backed the offer despite the fact it was an error. Good on them. As far as how everyone else feels about that, well let your conscience be your guide as we all have different values and mores.
The issue that is most important to me here is how the classifieds are being used and how that impacts the spirit and purpose of NCWW, Inc. We have had issues with classified before. We limited the classifieds to woodworking related items, and we limited them to prohibit commercial listings, to name a couple.
The issue of making a profit has been raised. No one here is against someone making a profit on an item they wish to sell. An example was made of someone buying a tool refurbishing it and then reselling it. I doubt anyone would begrudge that person making a profit in that situation.
However, the situation here is different. Most of the NCWW members that heard about the Worksharp 3000 opportunity learned of it here on NCWW. Some people bought one for themselves. Others bought more than they personally needed with the thought of selling them for a profit. OK so far. No law has be broken and no NCWW rule either.
Where I am bothered is the idea of profiting from other NCWW members who did not get a chance to respond THROUGH the NCWW classifieds. We have a lot of new members. Please understand something. NCWW is NOT just a bulletin board. We are an organization dedicated to the promotion of woodworking in NC and the surround areas. Through Steve Coles’ original vision we have been able to create a special place where people truly look out for one another. Members have seen each other through deaths, fires, injuries, thefts, etc. with no expectation of being repaid for their efforts. They did it because it was what they thought was the right thing to do.
During the work that went into getting our non-profit status, the lawyers and accountants were surprised to learn that we do not charge dues. This actually made the processes much harder for us. There is a reason for this. Our membership comes to this place from all walks of life. Some are in school while others are retired. Some are well off financially while others are unemployed. We want EVERYONE to have a chance to contribute. Someone that cannot afford dues could have a great deal of knowledge and experience to share. If we charged dues NCWW would be the poorer for not having such people as members. (Just a side note corporate membership does not require dues either). Other members have stated that they feel their major contribution has been the ability to provide pony express services so that other members can send goods to one another free of charge. All of this is part of the heart of NCWW!
So turning back to the Worksharp situation, it seems to be a little at odds with the basic tenets and the spirit of NCWW to see someone get a great deal because of a rpcing situation that only developed here on NCWW and NOT pass along the same deal to other NCWW members, but instead make a profit from them. I personally am not against someone making a profit from a sale, but perhaps Craigslist or ebay would be a better place. in keeping with the spirit and purpose of NCwWW, INc., the NCWW Classifieds should not be used to make a profit. Finally, let me say that I have given members tools for free that I no longer used and have built member accessories to improve their woodworking experience, in which case I only charged for the cost of materials. I would be upset if one of those people turned around and sold those items for a profit. I could instead have given them to someone else that needed them for free. Making a profit is fine, but taking advantage of other members leaves a bad taste in my throat.
The ad has not been pulled and I see that a member has bought one and is happy. Well and good, I guess, but I hope you all see the issue from my point of view as part of our job as BoD members is try to preserve what is special about NCWW. (BTW: there had been a number of moderations to the thread and a number of people have been spoken to. It is against NCWW rules to make personal attacks on this site.)"
Please review the following and let me have your thoughts ASAP. I would like to post something (soon). Thanks
Doug
"I feel the need to speak up here. First the original ad and now this thread have been on my mind since I first read them. There are multiple issues here. Some are more important than others to me. The ethic of taking advantage of a company’s obvious mistake is not of primary importance to me, except to say I was glad that HD and Workshop stepped up to the plate and backed the offer despite the fact it was an error. Good on them. As far as how everyone else feels about that, well let your conscience be your guide as we all have different values and mores.
The issue that is most important to me here is how the classifieds are being used and how that impacts the spirit and purpose of NCWW, Inc. We have had issues with classified before. We limited the classifieds to woodworking related items, and we limited them to prohibit commercial listings, to name a couple.
The issue of making a profit has been raised. No one here is against someone making a profit on an item they wish to sell. An example was made of someone buying a tool refurbishing it and then reselling it. I doubt anyone would begrudge that person making a profit in that situation.
However, the situation here is different. Most of the NCWW members that heard about the Worksharp 3000 opportunity learned of it here on NCWW. Some people bought one for themselves. Others bought more than they personally needed with the thought of selling them for a profit. OK so far. No law has be broken and no NCWW rule either.
Where I am bothered is the idea of profiting from other NCWW members who did not get a chance to respond THROUGH the NCWW classifieds. We have a lot of new members. Please understand something. NCWW is NOT just a bulletin board. We are an organization dedicated to the promotion of woodworking in NC and the surround areas. Through Steve Coles’ original vision we have been able to create a special place where people truly look out for one another. Members have seen each other through deaths, fires, injuries, thefts, etc. with no expectation of being repaid for their efforts. They did it because it was what they thought was the right thing to do.
During the work that went into getting our non-profit status, the lawyers and accountants were surprised to learn that we do not charge dues. This actually made the processes much harder for us. There is a reason for this. Our membership comes to this place from all walks of life. Some are in school while others are retired. Some are well off financially while others are unemployed. We want EVERYONE to have a chance to contribute. Someone that cannot afford dues could have a great deal of knowledge and experience to share. If we charged dues NCWW would be the poorer for not having such people as members. (Just a side note corporate membership does not require dues either). Other members have stated that they feel their major contribution has been the ability to provide pony express services so that other members can send goods to one another free of charge. All of this is part of the heart of NCWW!
So turning back to the Worksharp situation, it seems to be a little at odds with the basic tenets and the spirit of NCWW to see someone get a great deal because of a rpcing situation that only developed here on NCWW and NOT pass along the same deal to other NCWW members, but instead make a profit from them. I personally am not against someone making a profit from a sale, but perhaps Craigslist or ebay would be a better place. in keeping with the spirit and purpose of NCwWW, INc., the NCWW Classifieds should not be used to make a profit. Finally, let me say that I have given members tools for free that I no longer used and have built member accessories to improve their woodworking experience, in which case I only charged for the cost of materials. I would be upset if one of those people turned around and sold those items for a profit. I could instead have given them to someone else that needed them for free. Making a profit is fine, but taking advantage of other members leaves a bad taste in my throat.
The ad has not been pulled and I see that a member has bought one and is happy. Well and good, I guess, but I hope you all see the issue from my point of view as part of our job as BoD members is try to preserve what is special about NCWW. (BTW: there had been a number of moderations to the thread and a number of people have been spoken to. It is against NCWW rules to make personal attacks on this site.)"
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